A Study of Politeness in Translation: Using Terms of Address in Jane Austen's Novels as Examples

翻譯文本中的禮貌詞語研究：以珍•奧斯汀小說中的稱謂語翻譯為例

10.29786/STI.200907.0002

徐菊清(Chu-Ching Hsu)；呂曉婷(Hsiao-Ting Lu)

禮貌詞語 ； 稱謂語 ； 英漢平衡語料 ； 文學翻譯 ； politeness ； terms of address ； English-Chinese parallel corpus ； literary translation

翻譯學研究集刊

12輯（2009 / 07 / 01）

43 - 85

英文

本研究旨在探討中文譯者對文學作品中文化成分的反映及對禮貌性措辭的傳譯。因稱謂語具文化的特殊性，本文採Brown與Levenson的禮貌理論，針對稱謂的翻譯來做研究。研究對象分別取自Jane Austen二部小說中各一位被稱呼者：Pride and Prejudice中的Miss Elizabeth Bennet和Sense and Sensibility的Miss Marianne Dashwood。以語料庫翻譯為研究工具，俾使在對照原文與譯文的同時能有效率地顯示所有譯例並呈現統計數字。根據研究發現，消極的禮貌性稱謂會照字面忠實地翻譯或改譯成積極的禮貌性稱謂，而其決定因素取決於說話者的意圖及（或）說話者與被稱呼者之間的關係。另一方面，積極的禮貌性稱謂會因說話者與被稱呼者之間的關係，除了可接受的直譯稱謂語外，親屬稱謂或人名稱呼亦會因考量譯入語文化的語言常模，而用於取代積極的禮貌性稱謂。

The aim of this study is to investigate how Chinese translators react to cultural elements and convey expressions of politeness in literary works. Using Brown and Levenson's politeness theory, this study focuses on the translations of forms of address, which are regarded as being culturally-specific items. Two addressees are selected in this study from two of Jane Austen's novels, respectively: Miss Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice and Miss Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. Applying corpus translation studies as methodology, the results of all the instances can be found efficiently and presented statistically by comparing both source text (ST) and target text(s) (TT). According to the findings, a negative politeness address term is faithfully rendered into translation or considerably altered into a positive politeness address term when the addresser's intention or/and relationship is the decisive factor. On the other hand, a positive politeness address term, apart from rendering directly, is replaced with a kinship term or personal name of address according to the relationships between the two interlocutors as well as the target culture's language norms.

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